Tell Her I Love Her
by Gamma Orionis
Summary: Hermione finds Ginny in tears. Ginny says it's because she loves someone, but can't tell them. Written for Round One of WiccanWeasley101's Fanfic Factor Competition on the HPFC forum and the January 9th Prompt of the Day on Hogwarts Online II.


Author's Notes: Written for the first round of WiccanWeasley101's Fanfic Factor Competition on the HPFC forum.

_Genre: Romance/Hurt/Comfort  
Must have: At least one of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's children as a main character._

Also written for the January 9th Prompt of the Day on Hogwarts Online – "Tell him what's in your heart, and if you don't tell him, you won't be honest with yourself."

)O(

One hot summer day, after Hermione had arrived at the Burrow and a bit before Harry was due to, Hermione walked into Ginny's room without knocking. This wasn't unusual – they were sharing the room, and Ginny had made it clear that Hermione was welcome in it – but when Hermione stepped in, she was surprised to see Ginny lying face-down on the bed, her face buried in her pillow and her body shaking with muffled sobs.

Hermione was unused to seeing Ginny cry. In fact, she was sure she had never seen it before. Ginny was not the crying sort – if something bothered Ginny, it always resulted in her somehow getting rid of it, not crying over it.

This was unsettling.

"Ginny?"

Ginny lifted her head. The pillow was soaked, and Ginny's cheeks shone and sparkled with tears, which she hurriedly brushed away when she saw Hermione. "Oh… hi…"

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.

Ginny's face turned scarlet, almost matching her hair. "Nothing," she said, a little snappishly. "I'm just fine."

Hermione raised an eyebrow, and Ginny sighed.

"All right. Not just fine. But I'm just… don't worry about me."

"Oh, come on, Ginny," Hermione said briskly, sitting down on the bed and looking seriously at the younger girl. "Something's obviously wrong, and what sort of person would I be if I just let you lie here and cry your eyes out without trying to help?"

"How very touching," Ginny mumbled. "It's not your business, Hermione."

"You're my friend. You're upset. Of course it's my business."

"No it's not! Look, Hermione, just go talk to- to Ron or whoever and leave me alone!" Ginny's voice cracked a little on the last few syllables, and she turned away.

Hermione waited, and it only took a few seconds before Ginny sighed and looked back. "All right. So something is wrong, and I guess… help would be nice."

"Right, so what's wrong?"

Ginny tugged on a strand of her own hair, chewing her lip. "It's… well, there's… somebody."

Hermione tilted her head, confused.

"A romantic kind of somebody," Ginny clarified.

"_Oh._" Hermione nodded slowly. "I see. Who is it?"

"I'd prefer not to say," mumbled Ginny, biting so hard on her lip that the skin spilt and a drop of blood trickled out. She licked it up quickly. "But… I really like… them, and I- I can't… tell them."

"Why not?"

"Because," Ginny said with a slight, helpless shrug. "I just can't. I'm… friends with them, and it would ruin things if I told…" she sighed, falling flat back onto her bed. "Look, don't you think you could just give me some generic romance advice or something?"

Running a hand through her bushy hair, Hermione pondered. "I don't know… it's not like I'm some example of a person with a great love life," she sighed. "But… and I hope this doesn't sound trite… you ought to tell them what's in your heart…" Hermione smiled a little at how silly that sounded, but then her face went serious. "If you don't tell them, you won't be honest with yourself."

"I am being honest with myself! I know exactly what I want, I know that I love them, but I can't have it!"

"Why not?" Hermione asked, her voice quiet.

"Because Mum wouldn't approve," said Ginny bitterly. "She… doesn't really like them. And… doesn't think I should be in a relationship with… someone like that anyway."

"Someone like what?"

"Female."

Hermione's eyes widened. That had most definitely not been the answer she had been expecting, and she struggled for words, trying to come up with something to say.

"Oh," she said at last.

"Yeah," Ginny muttered. "I figured that was what you were going to say."

"Well… I'm sure your mother would understand–"

"No. No, she wouldn't. Especially since she doesn't like the girl in the first place. She thinks she's a…" Ginny's lip curled, "'Scarlet woman'."

Hermione was silent for a moment, then, her voice trembling just the tiniest bit, "Well, I think… you should still do what I said and tell them what you feel. I mean… what can your mother do about it, really, if you tell them?"

Ginny swallowed hard, then nodded, wiping the last of the tears off her face. "You know what? You're right. I'm going to tell her I love her."

"That's wonderful, Ginny…"

"Hermione," Ginny said, looking straight into her friend's eyes, "I love you."

)O(

_Fin_


End file.
